197108 Desert Magazine 1971 August

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D e s e r t M a g a z i n e B o o k C h o pCALIFORNIA by David Muench and Ray At-kesan. Two of the West's greatest color pho-tographers have presented their f inest worksto create the v ibrat ions of the oceans, lakes,mountains and deserts of Cal i forn ia. Thei rphotographic presentat ions, combined wi th themoving tex t of David Toll, makes this a classicin Western Americana. Large 11x14 f o rmat ,heavy sl ick paper, hardcover, 200 4-colorphotographs, 186 pages , $25 . 00 .NATIONAL PARKS OF THE WEST by The Editorsof Sunset Books. A pic tor ia l in terpretat ion ofth e 23 scenic preserves that encompass withintheir 12 mill ion acres most of the nat ion's f inestmount a in and desert scenery. Contains 247photographs wi th 32 pages in 4-color , 43 2-color maps, drawings, geological d iagrams, his-tory and other informations. Large 9x11 f o rmat ,heavy sl ick paper, hardcover, 286 pages $1 1.75.NORTHWESTERN ARIZONA GHOST TOWNS byStanley W. Paher. Direct ions to and his tory about23 of Arizona's most famous ghost towns. His-tor ical photographs and artist sketches enhanceedi tor ia l content . Large, 11x14 format, sl ickpaperback, 48 pages, $2.95.GREENWATER by Harold Weight. Called the"monument a l sw ind le of the century" th is isthe story of the 1906 stampede to the BlackMount a ins and how $30 , 000 , 000 d i sappeared .Paperback, historic photos, 34 pages. $1.00.1200 BOTTLES PRICED by John C. Tibbitts. Up-dated edi t ion of one of the best of the bott lebooks, $4.95.NEVADA'S TURBULENT YESTERDAYS by Don Ash-baugh. The best book about Nevada's ghosttowns and the rugged indiv iduals who bui l tthem. 346 pages, $7.95.LOST MINES OF DEATH VALLEY by HaroldWeight. This is a new approach to the enigmaof Death Valley Scotty 's l i fe and legends andgives addi t ional ins ight into the Lost Gunsightand Breyfogle bonanzas, plus other Death Valleymysteries. Paperback, historic photographs, refer-ence mater ia l , 86 pages $2.50.TRAVEL GUIDES TO BAJA CALIFORNIA by Kenand Caroline Bates. Published the Editors ofSunset Books, this is a useful book on Baja andshould be a companion piece to Gerhard andGulick's Lower California Handbook and Cl i f fCross's Baja by Road, Airplane and Boat. TheBates' book takes the reader to the people wi thtex t , photographs and maps. Anyone going toBaja should have all three books. Large 8x10format , heavy paperback, 80 pages, $1.95.LET'S GO PROSPECTING by Edward Arthur.Facts and how- t o -do- i t on prospect ing are pre-sented by the author who has spent 30 yearssearching for gems and minerals in Cal i f o rn ia .For those who think there are no more valuablesleft in Cal i forn ia, they wi l l f ind a new f ie ld inth is informat ive book. Inc ludes market ing data,maps, potent ial buyers for discoveries. Large8x10 format , i l lus t rated, heavy paperback, 84pages , $3 . 95 .LOST MINES OF THE GREAT SOUTHWEST by JohnD. Mitchell. The first of Mitchell 's lost minebooks is now avai lable af ter hav ing been out ofpr in t for years. Reproduced from the or ig ina lcopy and contain ing 54 art ic les based on ac-counts f rom people Mi tchel l in terv iewed. Hespent his ent ire adult l i fe invest igat ing reportsand legends of lost mines and t reasures of theSouthwest. Hardcover, i l lustrated, 175 pages,$7 . 50 .

A GUIDEBOOK ,,/*SAN BtRNARDINgTM O U N T A I N S. / iCALIFORNIA

A GUIDEBOOK TO THESAN BERNARDINO

MOUNTAINSBy RUSS LEADABRAND

The feature art ic le and cover photographin this issue is on the San BernardinoMountains Recreat ional Area. In a maga-zine art ic le we can only touch the high-l ights of an area so vast it is larger thanthe State of Rhode Island. More traveldetai ls and an enlarged history of theseSouthern California mountains is con-ta ined in Russ Leadabrand s popularGuidebook. For history buffs it also hasa comprehens ive bib l iography. Heavypaperback, i l lustrated with photos andmaps, 11 8 pages.$1.95

OVERLAND STAGE TO CALIFORNIA AND THEPONY EXPRESS by Frank A. Root. A f i rs t -handaccount of a mai l agent who l ived and foughtw i t h the men who settled the West throughtheir ef forts to establish communicat ion acrossthe wi lderness dur ing the 1800's. First publish-ed in 1901 and just republished. Heavy stockand hardcover, original art ist i l lustrat ions, two1800 maps, 645 pages, this is a book forhis tory buf fs , $15.00.RHYOLITE by Harold Weight. Tales of ShortyHarris, Ernest Cross, Bob Montgomery , M. M.Beaty and the men and women who estab-ished the famous mining town near DeathValley. Paperback, historic photos, 40 pages.$1 . 00 .SPEAKING OF INDIANS by Bernice Johnston.An author i ty on the Indians of the Southwest,the author has presented a concise well-writ tenbook on the customs, history, crafts, ceremoniesand wha t the American Indian has contributedto the whi te man's c iv i l izat ion. A MUST forboth students and t ravelers tour ing the IndianCountry. Heavy paperback, 10x7 format , i l lus-t rated, 112 pages, $2.50.

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Add 50 cents PER ORDER(Not Each Book)

for handling and mailingCALIFORNIA RESIDENTS ALSO

ADD 5 PERCENT SALES TAXSend check or money order to Desert Maga-zine Book Shop, Palm Desert , Cali fornia92260. Sorry , but we cannot accept charges

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MOCKEL'S DESERT FLOWER BOOK by Henry anBeverly Mockel. The wel l - known pa in t e rdeser t w i ldf lowers has combined his four-colsketches and black and whi te photographsdescribe in detai l so the layman can easident i fy w i ldf lowers , both large and smaMicroscopic detai l makes this an outs tandibook for ident if icat ion. Special compressed f ibpaper which wi l l not stain. 54 ful l-color i l lustrt ions wi th 72 l i fe-s ize drawings and 39 photgraphs, 316 pages, $5.95.PALM CANYONS OF BAJA CALIFORNIA bRandall Henderson. The beaut i fu l palm canyoand isolated areas of Baja California are dscribed by the late Randall Henderson, foundof DESERT Magazine. Although these are hpersonal adventures many years ago, litt le hchanged and his v iv id wr i t ing is al ive todayit was when he f irst saw the oases. Paperbai l lus t rated, 72 pages, $1.95.LOST MINES BURIED TREASURES ALONG THOLD FRONTIER by John D. Mitchell. The secoof Mi tchel ls books on lost mines which was oof -pr int for many years is ava i l ab le aga in . Maof these appeared in DESERT Mgazine yeag o and these issues are no longer avai labNew readers wi l l want to read these. Contathe or ig inal map f irst published with the boan d ono pinpoint ing the areas of lost minMitchell 's personal research and invest igathas gone into the book. Hardcover , 240 pag$7 . 50 .THE MYSTERIOUS WEST by Brad Williams aChoral Pepper. Rare book examines legends tcannot be proven true, nor unt rue. New edence presented in many cases which mchange the history of the West. Hardcov$6 . 95 .INYO MONO JEEP TRAILS by Roger MitchAuthor of DEATH VALLEY JEEP TRAILS, veteexplorer Mitchell takes you on 18 di f fer4-wheel -dr ive t r ips into the Sierra NevaMountains , where he explores ghost towns,dian terr i tory and scenic canyons and motain passes. Paperback, 36 pages, i l lus t . , $1.DUTCH OVEN COOKBOOK by Don Holm. Wlife editor of the Port land Oregonian, the authas spent his l i fe explor ing and wr i t i ng abthe outdoors, so his recipes for prepar ing foin a Dutch Oven come from experience. If yhaven' t had food cooked in a Dutch Oven, yhaven't l ived . . . and if you have youfind these recipes new and excit ing culinadven t u res as we l l as his style of wr i t iHeavy paperback, 106 pages, $3.95.LOST DESERT BONANZAS by Eugene ConroBrief resumes of lost mine art ic les printedback issues of DESERT Magazine, by a foreditor. Hardcover, 278 pages. $7.00.A FIELD GUIDE TO WESTERN BIRDS by RoTory Peterson. The standard book for f ie ld idt i f icat ion sponsored by the Nat iona l AuduSociety. 2nd edi t ion, enlarged wi th new secon Hawai ian bi rds . 658 in ful l color. Hardco$5 . 95 .HAPPY WANDERER TRIPS by Slim Barnard. Wknown TV stars Henrietta and Slim Barnhave put together a selection of 52 of tt r ips through Cal i forn ia taken f rom thei r HaWanderer travel shows. Has excellent mhistory, costs of gasol ine consumpt ion, lodgmeals p lus what to wear and best timemake tr ips. Can't be beat for fami l ies p lanweekend excursions. Paperback, large for150 pages, $2.95.


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WILLIAM KNYVETT, PUBLISHERJACK PEPPER, EDITOR

MARY FRANCES STRONG, Field Trip EditorGLENN VARGAS, Lapidary EditorK. L. BOYNTON, NaturalistJACK DELANEY, Staff Writer Volume 34, Number 8 AUGUST, 1

THE COVER:On e of the dozens of lakesand picturesque settings inthe San Bernardino Moun-tains in Southern Califor-nia is Cedar Lake in theBig Bear Lake Valley area.It is open to the public forpicnicking and viewing ofthe western movie setswhich have been used inmany motion pictures.Photo by Jack Pepper.

CONTENTSF EA TU R ES

THE ARTFUL ARMADILLOMUTED MILLS OF COMO

JERKYFOOD FOR THE TRAILRUINS OF THE HOHOKAM INDIANS

MILTON SHARPGENTLEMAN BANDITSUMMER TIME IS MOUNTAIN TIME!

RIDING THE RAILS TO STEDMANUTAH LOOP TRIP

K. L. BoyntonCarl BriggsPete TisherJack DelaneyCraig MacDonaldJack PepperMary Frances StrongEnid C. Howard

D E P A R T M E N T SA PEEK IN THE PUBLISHER'S POKE

BOOK REVIEWSCALENDAR OF WESTERN EVENTS

DESERT LIFERAMBLING ON ROCKS

NEW PRODUCTSLETTERS TO THE EDITOR

William KnyvettJack PepperClub ActivitiesHans BaertvaldGlenn and Martha VaItems of InterestReader's Comments

ELTA SHIVELY, Executive Secretary MARVEL BARRETT, Circulation ManagerEDITORIAL, CIRCULATION AND ADVERTISING OFFICES: 74-109 Larrea St., Palm Desert, California 92260. Telephone Area Co714 346-8144. Listed in Standard Rate and Data. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: United States, Canada and Mexico; 1 year, $5.00; 2 yea$9.50; 3 years $13.00. Other foreign subscribers add $1.00 U.S. currency for each year. See Subscription Order Form in this issue. Allofive weeks for change of address and send both new and old addresses with zip codes. DESERT Magazine is published monthly. Secoclass postage paid at Palm Desert, California and at additional mailing offices under Act of March 3, 1879. Contents copyrighted 19by DESERT Magazine and permission to reproduce any or all contents must be secured in writing. Unsolicited manuscripts and phot


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P u b l i s h e r ' sT ins SUMMER seems to be slipping byat an alarming rate and the con-tinuing drought in the Southwest hasleft slim pickings for wildlife. Therehas been a noticeable absence of theround tail ground squirrel, lizards ofall types, snakes and scorpions. Thefeathered friends of the desert seem tobe faring a bit better with plenty ofquail, dove and our old friend, theroadrunner, being sighted. I was discuss-ing this matter with a friend who alwayssummers at the beach and he said it washis opinion that the lower deserts duringthe summer were for the birds!

This month features Summer Time isMountain Time! which is not a bad wayto go if the mountains happen to bethe San Bernardino Mountains. A greatarea to "cool it" and reflect on beautifulfall weather which is just around thecorner.

With the demise of summer we shallreturn to desert features and have manyinteresting articles on tap. Speaking ofinteresting articles, K. L. Boynton hascome up wih a dandy in The Artful Ar-madillo on page 6. All desert loverswill enjoy learning about this creatureand how he makes his way in the world.

A r e t h e le g e n d so f t h e W e s tf a c t o r f i c t io n ?

Characters& M yths that' , grew out ofthe Old W estL O S TL E G E N D SO P t T H EW E S TBRADWILLIAMSCHORAL PEPPER O K i d

By B rad W illiams andChoral Pepper

Did the United States Government reallsteal Pancho Vil la's head two and a halyears after his burial? Where does theNorth Amer ican "Bigfoot " roam? In th isbook, a sequel to the author's populaThe Mysterious West, Brad Wi l l iams andChoral Pepper examine many l i t t le-knownstories and legends of the American WestHere the reader wil l f ind a variety ofantast ical ly conceived hoaxes along withnew factual evidence to support thevalidity of stories formerly assumed tobe tnles.The story behind California's lost Chero-kee diamond mine, the lost secrets oChar les Hat f ie ldsuper ra inmaker, whotwice nearly washed San Diego off themap, the lost site of the Calavaras skulland the mystery of the Port Oxformeteorite are but a few of thp phenomena discussed.

Hardcover, i l lustrated, 19? pages$5.95

Send check or money order toDESERT MAGAZINE BOOK SHOPPalm Desert , Cali fornia 92260

Add 50c for postage and handl ingCalifornia residents please add 30 cents

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R e v i e w s

W e s tWESTOF DAWNByHughd'Autremont

If it weren't for thefact theauthor isa reputable California engineering execu-tive, a retired Army lieutenant colonelwho served in World War II, and thefather of two grown sons, I would havethought this book was the creation of animaginative writer of Western fiction.Which proves the old adage that some-times "truth is stranger than fiction."The author's account ofhis life as ayoungman devoted to searching for adventureand treasure reads like fictionwhich isprobably true insome cases since his dia-logue istoo detailed tohave been remem-bered over a period ofyears.However, the fact remains hedid havethese adventures and did travel into re-mote areas throughout Southern Califor-nia andMexico during the DepressionYears of the1930s. His adventures start-ed when heplaced an ad in the Los An-

geles Times which read: Young man, 21,has $300. Will goanywhere and doany-thing."And that iswhat theauthor did as hewent into Arizona's Superstition Moun-tains with Barry Storm looking for theLost Dutchman Mine, learned to hard-rock mine in Southern California andprospected for gold in Mexico's ruggedSierra Madre Mountains where hispart-ner threatened to murder him for the

In myopinion, this book is half fic-tion and half truth, but I had avicariousthrill in reading about theadventures ofa man who, inhis younger years, decided"my world would beone of action . . .fortune must beachieved at a high per-sonal risk . . . " Sometimes truth isstranger than fiction. Hardcover, 187pages, $5.00.

G H O S TT O W N SO F TH EN O R T H W E S TByNorman D.Wets

The ghost-town country of thePacificNorthwest, including trips to manylittle-known areas, is explored by theauthor in this new book Which is a first-hand account ofhis travels into the backcountry of Oregon, Washington, Idaho,Wyoming and Montana.In writing of known ghost towns,theauthor has searched out new information,explored new angles, or visited with anold-timer for anoffbeat story. Indescrib-ing theunknown areas, heexplains themethod of location, themap searchandthe difficulties in getting to the actualsite.The approach isthat of aphotographerwith a sense of humor who appreciatesbeauty anddelights in a good story.Herecounts many of hismistakes. A shorthistory of each town is included. Wherethe old-timers' stories disagree withhis-tory, both sides are told and thus thereader canmake hisown determination.The book is sprinkled with amusinginterviews and anecdotes, plus the au-thor's personal observations of the ghosttowns which, with the factual and his-torical presentation, make this thebestbook todate on ghost towns of the north-westwhether for theback country en-thusiast looking for new country to ex-plore or the armchair traveler.And for thephotographer, the illus-trations will provide a newinsight inhow tocapture themoods andlightingof ghost towns in black andwhite ex-posures. Hardcover, maps, beautifully il-lustrated, heavy slick paper, 319 pages,

A t t e n t i o n B o t t l e andR e l i c C o l l e c t o r sThe books listed below lire umong themost popular books available on bottle& relics. Our books allcontain price guides"BOTTLES &RELICS"155 pages ofbott lesguns, Indian relics, lamps, jars, insulatorsJim Beams, and allkinds of relics. 33pagein full color. $5.00 percopy plus 25c postag e & handl ing. A lso ava i lab le in deluxhardbound at $7.50. Makes an ideal gif t"ANTIQUE BOTTLES"This beautiful boois loaded with sharp photos of which 12are in full color. All bottles are pricedThis book tells where to look, what tlook for,ho w to clean, how andwhere tsell andmuch more. Only $3.50 plus 25cpostage and handling."TOBACCO TINS"This book is loadewith sharp photos of Tobacco Tins of akinds, and they're all priced. There are pages in full color. Tincontainer collectinis coming on strong, so get your pricguide now. Only $3.75 plus 25cpostag& hand l ing ."POCKET FIELD GUIDE FOR THE BOTTLDIGGER"This compact little book is dsigned to go on that bott le digwi thyouIdeal for on the spot identif ication anpricing. Only $2.00 plus 25c postagehandl ing.Order from:Old Bottle Collecting Publication

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O LD Dasypus novemcinctus, th earmadil lo who ornaments theTexas scenery today, is a relic ofthe good old days when the worldwas young. Shuffling about his busi-ness as scavenger and insect catch-er, he is still a very primitive animal,little changed from the model invogue a million years ago. Yet hecontinues to flourish and even to ex-pand his range, in spite of his physi-

cal shortcomings and in the face ofvery unfavorable climatic conditionsand human opposition.Originating in South America, thearmadillo clan is a very old one.Travel seems to be a characteristic,for his ancient relatives, the Glypto-donts, were among the early immi-grants into North America, crossingthe land bridge heaved up some 15million years ago by movements of

the earth's crust. They trampedabout the new land, some of them asbig as rhinos. Their heads were cov-ered by thick helmets of bone, theirbody armor made of an immovablebony plate, sculptured in fancy pat-terns. Some of their armored tailshad spiked clubs at the end.Puny compared to these extinct

relatives, today's cat-sized armadillois still encased in bony armora

by K. L. Boynton 1971

Nine-banded armadilloPhotos courtesy San Diego Zoo


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fact that makes him unique amongmammals, the turtle of course beinga reptile. His neat coat of mail isa great improvement for it is lightweight and made in sections. Onebig shield, composed of many smallplates of bone, covers the front ofhis body; a similiar one fits over hisposterior. The space between is pro-tected by a series of nine bands ofbone, held together by skin andmounted on a flexible base. Thanksto this movable m idrift section, to-day's armadillo can curl up into aball, bringing his soft underpartsinto his suit of armor. The top of hishead, front of face and ears remain-ing outside have their own plates ofbone, and his tail its protective rings.Topping the entire coat of mail fromtip to tail is a covering of hornyscales with, as a final artistic touch,an occasional hair growing out hereand there between them.Donkey eared, long of snout, weakof eye and no intellectual, the arma-dillo is nevertheless viewed with es-teem by scientists both for his longevolutionary success and for his sur-vival technique applied today for hisfurther invasion of new habitats.Some surprising data have come tolight in investigations over the yearsand in current work.Not the least among them is thefact that armadil los arrive in thisworld in squads of four to a singlebatch. All four youngsters are alwaysof the same sex. All four are alwaysexactly alikeidentical in scale de-tail and even in the number of hairson the ir bellies. Known as "spe cificpolyembryony" this situation occursbecause four individuals are pro-duced from a single fertilized eggwhich very early divides into four em-

Biologist Taber, fascinated withthese odd-ball creatures, put in quitea time observing them both in thelaboratory and in the wild, and cameto the conclusion that DEN shouldbe their middle name. Four house-hold dens per individual is only a be-ginning with many others dug forpop-in escape, and he found thatthese iron-clad creatures had dig-ging techniques down pat. The longnose and tough forefeet go at soilloosening, pushing, packing it intoa small pile under the belly. At thispoint the armadillo balances up onhis forefeet and tai l , gets his twohind feet into position on the pile,arches his back, and gives a mightykick. The pile sails through the airto land several feet from the den en-

trance, and the digger goes aagain. So fast is this champion dger that a captive timed when acompletely buried himself in minutes in soil so dry and hTaber himself had to use a pickbreak into it.Naturally enough, such prowcalls for special equipment, andnatomist Miles in his careful disstion found that the armadil lo's shoder and forelimb anatomy is desied from start to finish for diggaction. There is unusual ease movement in its set up. The shoder girdle itself is massive and inforced to withstand great muslar pulling action when the clawhand is dug in, and yanked baraking the hard packed earth with


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Glytodonts, amovedmammals, came from South A merica

some tenmillion years ago androamed theSouthwest. Some were

twelve feet long andfive feet high.

Home range forarmadillo femalesis about eight andahalf acres; about12 acres for themales. Their densare of first importance totheir sur-vival indesert conditions astheyre-main inthem during the heat of theday. Theholes also make fine insectt raps, camel crickets by thequartsbeing hauled out of one by Clarkin hisinvestigations. Resting adultmosquitos, mites, spiders (amongthem black widows) andmany differ-ent kinds ofbeetles arealso present.All of these serve ashandy snacksfo r thearmadil lo while he himselfis in residence, for above all he isa great fancier of such delicacies.

Foraging for insect food outsideinvolves both nose andclaw work. Ifthe ground issandy and fairly work-able, thesensitive nose can handleth e jobalone in akind of high classrooting. If dry and hard, diggingmust be done. Thearmadil lo wan-ders about pushing into grounddebris, rearing up on hishind legs

Dick Smith invites you . . .ComeFfywith me!See Canyonlands from theair! Majestic pinnacles, redrock canyons and arches.Truly a scenic wonderland.Several flights to choose from inaddition to fl ights over MonumentValley, Lake Powell, andRainbow Bridge. Combination land-air andLake Powell-air tours available. Write today for abrochure.Cantfonlands


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took place long before he came pok-ing around for insects. Kalmback'sstudy showed that only two of 95quail nests were known definitelyto have been destroyed by arma-dillos and only seven just possiblys o , making at worst a very doubtful10 percent.The armadil lo drinks if there isfree water, but can go as long as amonth on the moisture secured frominsects alone. While heat does notbother him too much, prolongeddry spells do for then the insectsdisappea r. He cannot aestivate andsit out this period, and hence cannotpenetrate too deeply into the desert.Cold bothers him, for his bonyarmor with its few short hairs is noprotection, and long sub-freezingtemperatures prevent him from get-ting out and foraging. His style isdefinitely cramped since he cannothibern ate. Hence cold weather putsa stopper on his northward march,or moving into high altitude habi-tats.

There does seem to be a kind oflayover period for, although matingtakes place in July or August, theembryos do not start to form until 14weeks later. The normal gestationis 120 days, which brings armadil lobirthdays in February, March orApri l . This is most favorable, fordesert plants are blooming and are

The foursome arrives open-eyedand ready to go. They look likeminiature adults except that theircovering is only leathery and will notharden completely until they arewell grown. It is not known how longthey are suckled, but long beforebeing weaned, they trai l along aftertheir mother learning the ropes ofinsect forag ing. What with his physi-cal drawbacks of a tooth set up thatcan handle only certain types of food,and his inability to stand prolongedcold and prolonged dryness, it wouldseem that the armadillo clan's trav-els have finally come to the end ofthe l ine.

But sc ien tists , viewing his longevolutionary success whereby headapted to changing conditions andnew habitats without doing muchchanging himself, are watching withinterest as he pushes further into thearid Southwest. They figure that justmaybe this artful old relic has a fewtricks tucked up into his armor some-where yet and that he's just the fel-low to use the m.

F o r t h e R E S T o l y o u r l i f eRelax and enjoy . . . where everythingis going for you . . . the cl imate, hundreds of hot mineral pools in modernmotels, hideaways and great people. . . al l eager to please. Come for day, week, month . . . or the rest oyour l i fe . Wr i te for f ree brochuresChamber o f Commer ce , Dep t . DDesert Hot Springs, California 92240Directions: On Interstate 1 0, near PalmSprings, go north on one of three turn-offsto Desert Hot Springs.

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M u t e dA N e v a d a G h o s t T o w

M i l l s o f C o m oT H E DESERTED mining town of Como,Nevada, is situated high in thewild Pine Nut Mountains, eleven milessoutheast of Dayton and about eighteenmiles due east of Carson City.

The several years immediately follow-ing discovery of rich ore at Virginia Citywere eventful ones for Nevada. Asminers deserted California and headedfor the Comstock they found everysquare foot of land staked and claimed.They journeyed outward from there intoother mountain ranges and, finding otheroutcroppings of rich ore, they establishednew towns, counties and mining districts.Como was established in 1863 duringthe gold excitement in Palmyra Districtand was the first county seat of LyonCounty, boasting at one time a popula-tion of 700.The Pine Nut range is a 35-mile spine,covered with pinyon pines and rising toover 9,000 feet elevation. The mountainsare bordered on all sides by fertile, irri-gated landsCarson, Mason and SmithValleys, and the Carson River bottomlands between Dayton and Fort Church-

illyet remain nearly as lonely and iso-lated today as they were before the ad-vent of white men. Perhaps more so.Indians used to live in the Pine Nuts,but they, too, are gone.Como, consisting of stone ruins, tum-ble down shacks, bleached tailing piles,remains of old mills, and massive head-frames standing gaunt against the desertsky, lies in a high, wind-whipped desertpass between 8,543-foot Rawe Peak and8,763-foot Lyon Peak. In addition to

abandoned mines and ghost ruins of the

by Carl Brigg

Mills that once stamped out Nevada's wealth (opposite page) today areand stand like silent sentinels . . . and the sturdy wheels of the wagon

mutra


12/44

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Documents

197108 Desert Magazine 1971 August